Community Brag Posts

Queen Storage Bed with Drawers!

This was our third major building project (I've built some frames and small shelves in my free time but our other two big projects were the bunk beds and the tryde coffee table).

This was our first time cutting plywood boards and it was a huge chore at first, until we got the hang of it and built a good circular saw guide that cut our cutting time by more than half.

We couldn't find the type of drawer slides we needed so we decided to forget them and built our own wood slides. They basically are just L-shaped brackets made of 1x3 (on the bottom) and 1x2 (on the top), adjusted to the right spot to hold the drawers in place. A little candle wax (a trick learned from my husband's grandfather) is all you need to make them slide nicely. All in all, we built drawer slides out of wood for the about $20 total. Huge savings and honestly I think I like it better that way.

Things I learned during this project:
Plywood is a lot heavier than I ever imagined.
Cutting plywood is not fun.
I will never complain again about cutting boards with the miter saw!
Stainable wood putty is a joke. You can clearly see every spot I puttied. From now on we buy the colored stuff that already matches the stain!
Building drawers isn't scary--I thought it would be. I actually built all the drawers by myself in one morning, when hubby wasn't even around to help.
90-degree gripper things are a must have. And the more you have, the better.
Elmer's wood glue is really stronger than nails. We glued something and didn't like it and were unable to break it off so we had to nail it as it was!

This project took us nearly a month, but to be fair, I was out of town for two weeks of that time and this is definitely a project for four hands, not two.

Overall, it was a great experience and I'm so excited for the extra storage--our house is small but we don't want to move so we are trying to make use of every inch of space, without the house LOOKING like we are making use of every inch of space.

Next up: new bedside tables to match the bed.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$400-$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Varathane American Walnut: two coats. Applied with paint brush, allowed to soak and then excess wiped with old socks (loved the old sock trick, thanks, Ana).

One coat of minwax semi-gloss poly.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Treehouse Bunk Bed

Submitted by Maymer on Thu, 06/27/2013 - 12:18

My kids are very into the "Magic Treehouse" books so my version of the Sweet Pea Bunk Beds is called The Treehouse Bunk Beds!
I made a few modifications, mostly for ease of access and airflow. I added windows for each bunk on the non-stair side of the bed because my kids room tends to be really hot so I thought they would appreciate more cross ventilation.
I made the side panel on the upper bunk removable (so that I would have access to put the fitted sheet on that end) by using pocket hole screws to hold the boards together, which make it one solid panel then I put 1x2s behind where the panel would go so it wouldn't fall in and used 4 slide bolts to hold it in place so it wont fall out. Also I made the two front panels on the lower bunk hinged doors so I could just lean in to change the sheets. The method for these was basically identical to what I described above but I attached them with non-mortised hinges.
I'd love to get the storage boxes made on of these days. Maybe after they start kindergarten!

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
I used primer and two coats of low-voc interior paint on the light brown and dark brown areas. The green trim and stairs I decided to experiment and I really liked the results. I just put one very thin (practically dry-brushed) coat of paint and it came out really interesting. You can still the grain of the wood so it almost looks like colored stain. For the stairs, I was worried about durability so I put 3 coats of clear satin polyurethane on top and it seems like it will hold up just fine,
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Natural Finish Cedar Planter

Submitted by benpryor82 on Mon, 06/15/2015 - 07:15

Great results from this plan. The additional mitered top is easy as long as you can get a good 45 degrees on your saw. If you decide to do the top piece, glue the 4 mitered pieces together and clamp for a couple of hours in order to make sure the angles set correctly. Once the glue is dry, then attach to the top of your planter with glue and nails. I built 2 planters, including the mitered top edges, in about 5 hours.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Less than $50 for two planters.
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
Unfinished, but will likely seal with Thompson's
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Letter A shelf

Submitted by Knathu121 on Fri, 01/05/2018 - 20:14

I made this Letter A shelf for my daughters nursery with scrap wood I had.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
Under $10 due to the fact that I only need to buy screws.
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Spray painted white and then lightly spray painted pink.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Bed- Queen Sized - Self milled wood.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 12/26/2021 - 19:46

All of the wood used in the project was milled in our yard, from trees on our land. The 4x4 uprights are poplar, and the rest is spruce, all originating within 500m of our house. The wood was sticker stacked for 2 years prior to planing down to the required size( last picture shows a not yet planed 1X6.)

Was a great project we have had many compliments on as it is the bed in our guest bedroom and has been used plenty during the Christmas season.

My only change up was using 1x6 for the side rails instead of 1x10 due to availability. Turned out amazing!

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Entry table

Submitted by Marisol on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 20:14

2nd project, but learning quickly! :)

I first started with the wall treatment, love board and batten walls, they add such a crisp look and tons of character, but then the entry way was a little bare. So I needed a table for our keys and some lighting...so this table was perfect, narrow and Pottery Barn looking...

It took about 1 hour to build, including cuts and everything....the staining was the task...my God was I impatient!
I started with the wood conditioner, which only gives you a 2 hour window to add the stain, but do need to wait 15 minutes to start...then I did 2 coats of dark walnut stain and after 8 hours of drying time came in the top coat...which takes 4 hours to dry and then a 2nd coat needed to be added (which I skipped) but I love the color, love the turn out.

So light, I carried it ALL by myself. :)

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$15.00
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax wood conditioner & Minwax Dark Walnut
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

End Tables

I built 2 end tables to go with my park bench. I had a lot of trouble with splitting wood, because the 1x2s where so thin. I'm used to more robust lumber. I tried something new. I drilled pocket holes, sanded, primed and painted everything before I assembled. I don't like painting as much, because I love using power tools. I psyched myself out by thinking I was giving it an elegant finish. Sounds so much nicer than slapping some paint on wood.

My son made some tic-tac-toe pieces from scrap treated lumber, by painting black X's on one side and white O's on the other. Now we can play on the end table!

Ana White's site is wonderful with downloadable, step-by-step shopping list, cut list and instructions.

#AnaWhite #GetBuilding2015

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
less than $20 for 2 end tables
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
White exterior latex paint.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Farmhouse Table

Submitted by debbB78 on Sun, 01/07/2018 - 14:26
Build this table with provided plans but tweaked them a little to make the table a little wider. I used (4) 2x10's and (1) 2x12 in the middle to make the top. I build the base wider to accommodate the larger top. It's a beast but I love it! Brought the base in the house and attached the top in the dining room.
Estimated Cost
I honestly didn't keep track of what I spent but I'd sat around $250
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Stained it with one layer of Minwax Special Walnut, let that dry over night then added a layer of Minwax Weathered Oak. 
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Narrow Console Table - Farmhouse Collection

I loved this project. Since I can't buy wood, I have to use wood from pallets, or where ever I can find free wood. In this case I used 2x4's from pallets, 1x4 oak slats from an old bed frame I acquired and 1x4's from a large solid maple dog crate I acquired. The top was made from cabinet grade plywood we had left over from cabinets my husband made two years ago when we remodeled the kitchen (so I have to say that was purchased). The maple dog crate had some awesome wood, even tho it had been broken in a couple places. Just had to plane down the reddish finish on it. Since it was going to be painted, I didn't care what kind of wood I used. The only thing I had to buy were the corner brackets. Even the screws were from pallets we acquired, just had to paint the heads black.

Comments

Crate Cart

You would think I would build this first because it was EXTREMLY easy. This was so fun to make and it's perfect for my daughters toys (junk). I used all reclaimed pallets except for the sides. The only reason it cost $8 is because the wheels were $5.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$8
Finish Used
Sanded
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Variation on the Charging Table

We loved Ana's charging table, but didn't think we needed the holes for charging - what we really needed was just a side table to go next to our couch, but one with storage capacity (hence the shelves behind the doors on the bottom) and a place to put the remotes and game controllers for the TV (hence the shelf at the top). We decided to keep the "secret" compartment on top that flips up, like in the original plans, for storing messy things with cords like the headphones that you can see in the picture.

We also decided to replace the solid wood doors with a glass pane, and used glass paint to paint a square in the middle of the glass.

This was our very first - ever! - furniture-making project and we both really love how it came out. :-)

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Golden Pecan Stain and three layers of a polyurethane finish
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Love this nightstand

Submitted by ehrobson13 on Thu, 01/11/2018 - 11:39

We were looking for nightstand that would match our new mantle moulding headboard and stumbled across these plans.  It was a cinch to build.  I adjusted the height and width up a bit, as we have a platform bed that is higher than most nightstands.  It turned out beautifully!  

 

I also made a few modifications and additions, for my own purposes.  I cut out a square in the backer board and mounted a charging block to the underside of the top piece.  That way, my phone, kindle and fitbit charging cords can be tucked away in the storage bins and I don't have wires all across the top. And I purchased a piece of thin plexiglass that I'm using to protect the top of the table.  It looks great and will keep any coffee or water rings/spills from damaging the stand's surface.

 

Also, hardwood plywood is a BEAST.  Good gawd, the splinters are a nightmare.  You HAVE to have leather or some other really thick gloves.  But there are just some things that are tough to do wearing gloves. So for the second nightstand, we put a coat of primer on the sheet of hardwood before we even started measuring and cutting.  That has helped so much with the splinters.  

 

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$85
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
2 coats of primer and 3 coats of latex semi-gloss
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Lawn Chairs

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 12/28/2021 - 12:06

Built these for my daughters new home

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Crate Caddy

Submitted by rhonit on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 14:25

Using old barn wood, too short for anything else. Love that four regular Mason jars can fit in it, and it is ideal for taking silverware outside for the BBQ's.
Cost was zero, all wood was from the scrap pile. Put together with a brad nailer, the is no finish on the wood. Actually build time was less then a hour. "Including clean up"

Estimated Cost
$0
Finish Used
none
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

coffee table

this is a coffee table that i had build just by looking at a picture and taking measurements of my previous coffee table that i had, I'm very glad to show the table off!

Estimated Cost
roughly $80-$90
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Farmhouse Bed

Submitted by mwg10 on Mon, 01/15/2018 - 07:57

I made a few modifications. 

I used shiplap instead of tongue and groove, raised the footboard by adding an extra 2 x 6 & used jacobean stain.

Thanks Ana for putting the plans and video on your site.

 

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
minwax jacobean
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Hall Tree with Drawers using a combination of 2 plans

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 12/31/2021 - 19:40

We had an empty area at the bottom of our stairs that was just calling for a hall tree. I love watching and learning from Anna's videos. I really liked 2 of her plans: the Farmhouse Hall Tree and the Mudroom Bench with Easy Drawers. I decided to combine them to make my own unique hall tree. Our teenage daughter used the "window panes" in the back to paint a Japanese Maple tree. I think it turned out beautifully. This is the first of Anna's plans that I've used, but I plan to use many more! Thank you, Anna for your amazing videos and desire to share your knowledge. We appreciate it so much!

Comments

10 Dollar Ledge Shelves

Submitted by ValGal222 on Wed, 05/11/2011 - 20:40

Thanks Ana, I no longer "Think I Can"- I KNOW I CAN! : )

Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet, need feedback on what color...
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Red Hen Home's Modified Providence Bench

This is a slightly modified version of the Providence Bench. I used 1x wood rather than 2x wood, so the legs are slightly longer to make the bench come out to the same height. Made this to match a planked-top table. More photos on my blog: http://redhenhome.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-other-solomon-table-bench.ht…

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
50
Estimated Time Investment
An Hour or Two (0-2 Hours)
Finish Used
Custom mix of Minwax Weathered Oak and Antique Walnut stain, followed by hand-rubbed polyurethane.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

JW

Thu, 09/12/2013 - 05:46

I like the planked top! Great job on the finish - it's rustic without being overdone. It's one of the things i love about pottery barn furniture.

What is the hand-rubbed polyurethane? Is that just the wipe-on stuff I keep seeing at the store? Was it easy to use?

Quick basement shelves

Submitted by Panda on Thu, 01/18/2018 - 14:22

What a great project! This is my first Ana White project and definitely won't be my last!

 

I modified the garage plans to fit our basement. We have two beams the shelves needed to fit between, so I made the length 10' and bought 2x4s at 10'. Otherwise, I didn't do any modifications.

 

The wood was cut at the store for the lengths needed, making it super easy to come home and assemble! We secured the shelves to the basement supports and along the back wall. It's pretty secure and stable.

 

Overall this probably took a few hours (we took a break while constructing it). Next time I would make the shelves a bit deeper. 17" was fine, but a few more inches would have made the bins fit a bit better.

 

I am looking forward to making more!

Estimated Cost
$140
Estimated Time Investment
Afternoon Project (3-6 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Bench

Had a small bench that the previous owners of our house left. It was all made from 1x. Wanted something a little beefier to match the bed I built. So came up with this bench. Made from all pine.

Comments